Titanium - Occurrence And Extraction

Titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the earth's crust with an abundance estimated at about 0.63%. The most common sources of titanium are ilmenite, rutile, and titanite. The metal is often obtained commercially as a byproduct of the refining of iron ore. It can be produced from its ores by electrolyzing molten titanium chloride (TiCl₄): TiCl₄ —electric current → Ti + 2Cl₂, or by treating hot titanium chloride with magnesium metal: 2Mg + TiCl₄ → Ti + 2MgCl₂.